Definition

1. Noun:

   • A tendency, preference, or partiality: A mental or emotional inclination towards a particular idea, belief, or course of action.
   • A position or angle away from the vertical or horizontal: The state of not being straight up and down or level; a tilt or slant.

2. Adjective:

   • Not upright; sloping or inclining: Describing something that is at an angle rather than being perfectly vertical or horizontal.

Examples of Usage

• Noun (Tendency):
  • She has a strong leaning towards classical music.
  • His political leanings are quite conservative.
• Noun (Physical Tilt):
  • The leaning of the old fence post was caused by years of strong winds.
  • He corrected the leaning of the picture frame on the wall.
• Adjective:
  • The leaning tower is a famous tourist attraction.
  • We placed a book under the leg of the leaning table to stabilize it.

Advanced Usage

• "to have a leaning toward(s) something": to have a tendency to prefer or support a particular thing.
  • The study shows a clear leaning towards online shopping among younger consumers.
• "a pronounced leaning": a strong and obvious tendency or tilt.
  • The politician's pronounced leaning towards environmental policies defined his campaign.

Variants and Related Words

• Lean (verb): To incline or bend from a vertical position; to rely on or be inclined towards something in a non-physical sense.
  • The tree leans to the south.
  • I lean towards the first proposal.
• Leaned (past tense/participle): The past form of the verb 'lean'.
  • She leaned against the wall.

Synonyms

• Noun (Tendency): Inclination, propensity, predisposition, penchant, proclivity.
• Noun (Tilt): Tilt, slant, inclination, list, angle.

Related Phrases

• Leaning tower: A structure that is not vertically straight, most famously the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
  • The city is known for its medieval leaning tower.

Related Idioms

• A leaning toward: A phrase used to indicate a preference or tendency.
  • Despite being a scientist, he has a definite leaning toward the arts.

Adjective

1. departing or being caused to depart from the true vertical or horizontal
   • the leaning tower of Pisa
   • the headstones were tilted

Noun

1. the act of deviating from a vertical position
2. the property possessed by a line or surface that departs from the vertical
   • the tower had a pronounced tilt
   • the ship developed a list to starboard
   • he walked with a heavy inclination to the right
3. a natural inclination
   • he has a proclivity for exaggeration
4. an inclination to do something
   • he felt leanings toward frivolity